


i am done pretending i want anyone else

by Dpanda_17



Series: One Shots [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Based on a Joshua Basset Song, Break Up, Evil Lila Rossi, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Lila Rossi Bashing, Love Confessions, Making Out, Pining, Plagg Cares (Miraculous Ladybug), Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), School Dances, Sharing a Bed, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29024775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dpanda_17/pseuds/Dpanda_17
Summary: Adrien hadn’t planned on falling in love with Marinette. But when he realizes it, he wonders if he was too late.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: One Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031337
Comments: 5
Kudos: 74





	i am done pretending i want anyone else

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it’s really long, it just got a little out of hand. Regardless, I hope you like it! If you don’t know this song you should definitely check it out!

_You say you gotta think it over_

_I can't stop thinkin' of you_

_Is he the guy you want to hold ya_

_I'll be here when you need me to_

For what it was worth, Adrien hadn’t planned on developing a momentous crush on his classmate. Yet, again and again, he was dumbfounded as he caught himself dreaming about her, drawing her on the corner of his calculus worksheets. It wasn’t that he was disappointed with the person who had managed to capture his heart. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He could feel his heart going fuzzy at the sight of his smile, his lips curling into a dopey smile whenever she merely spoke to them. Sometimes, he even had a mini-panic attack whenever she touched him, whether that was resting her head on his shoulder or her elbow brushing against his when they were doing homework in the library. 

They’d been friends since they were fourteen, goddamnit! He shouldn’t be feeling this way. Not when he was already eighteen, and the handsome, kind, and composed model that he always was. Not to mention he had aced le bac and was getting accepted by the biggest universities in the world, if he was able to do that much he would be able to talk of the girl of his dreams no problem. Right? When they were alone, on the other hand, he didn’t refrain from cracking a few puns, earning the sweet sound of her laughter in response and the coined nickname, “dork”. He refrained on the nicknames, however, as he didn’t have the right when she already had a boyfriend. 

She’d already been dating Luka for six months, and he knew it was terrible that he was crushing on a girl that was already taken, but he couldn’t help it. It was heart-wrenching, especially since his go-to for love advice was the reason for his love problems. He couldn’t be simply her friend, and he kicked himself everyday for not realizing that he loved her sooner. 

“I could’ve been with her by now,” He whispered to himself as he cried one evening, head tucked in between his knees and his hands grasping against his pants. Plagg came and rested on the young man’s shoulder, patting him and whispering kind words. It wasn’t like his normal behavior, but he couldn’t see his holder so utterly heartbroken. It was worse than when he used to get salty over Ladybug’s crush. Here, Adrien just couldn’t stand it.

_Make you feel beautiful in the morning_

_Light you up when the rain won't stop pouring_

_'Cause there's a million little things I haven't told ya_

_It kills me every time he's with you, so_

His face fell, sitting next to her on the wet stairs in front of the school as he held an umbrella above the both of them. She dried her tears–which he could tell were tears against the pouring rain because they were gathered at her eyelids–and sniffed, shifting closer to him. 

“What happened? You returned from the bathroom in tears and just left the cafeteria. Are you all right?”

She shook her head, but her sitting alone in the cold spring rain told him otherwise. Her eyes were red and puffy, her breaths came out shaky. Resting his head atop of her damp, dark hair, he whispered, “You know you can tell me, right?” 

“It was Lila again,” she buried her face in her hands, sobbing into them. “She’s not giving up, Adrien. It’s been four years, I’ve exposed her countless times, and she’s been able to steal away the majority of my friends from me and her pathetic lies. I’m so tired! I’ve tried telling everyone about her. No one listens to me, except you.” 

“What did she do this time?” 

“She met me while I was in the bathroom and said that I am… I’m ugly and– and undeserving of everything I have and that you should be friends with her and not me and that one day, she’ll make me pay for everything I’ve done to her. She slapped me and pushed me against the wall and left… I have a bruise on my cheek now. Adrien, why does no one listen to me?” 

Adrien clenched his fists in anger, his face reddening, and steam threatening to shoot out of his ears. How dare someone do that to her? Marinette, the most beautiful, talented, kind, caring, compassionate, sweet, creative, and courageous girl he ever knew. She deserved everything she had and more. Heck, she deserved the whole world! “Marinette. If you don’t see that you’re the most amazing person ever, you’re lying to yourself. I lo– I think you’re wonderful, and you shouldn’t give a shit about what that asshole says about you.” Adrien internally panicked at the close call, cursing his heart for pounding at astronomical speeds. 

She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and, although she was soaking wet, he hugged her back, cherishing the moment as if he’d never hug her ever again. He couldn’t do that! _She already has a boyfriend, Agreste!_ He reminded himself, still not ceasing to let go of her. “I think you’re wonderful, too. I’m so glad to have you as my best friend. Don’t tell Alya, she’ll get jealous.” 

He chuckled softly, placing a soft kiss on her damp hair. As much as the ‘friend’ comment stung, he still appreciated he meant so much to her. “I won’t. I promise. Now,” he let her go. “We should probably get dried off before classes start. I think Chlo has a hairdryer in her locker for ‘emergencies’. I can ask her if we can use it.” He air quoted and rolled his eyes. 

“You’re right. They’re going to start soon, and I won’t have time to get changed after classes are over. I have a date with Luka right after school.” 

Oh right. Luka. 

His muscles tightening, he stood up and offered her hand to her, to usher her back inside. “Shall we?” He forced out flashing his practiced smile that only came out during photoshoots. 

“We shall.” She placed a kiss on his cheek, sending electric shockwaves through his body. He thought he would faint right then and there. “And thank you.”

_How am I supposed to think about anything else?_

_How am I to go on keeping this to myself?_

_I am done pretending I want anyone else, anyone else._

Adrien sat at his desk, finishing his physics homework with no difficulty. Unoccupied and bored, he started scrolling through his phone. Nino posted a picture of his dog, Alya posted something about a new Ladyblog update, and Marinette posted a picture of her and Luka, with the widest smiled on their faces, ice cream in their hands and smeared around their mouths. His will to scroll through his phone withered away, he threw it on his bed, burying his face in his arms. 

He wanted nothing more than to confess to her his feelings, to end his excruciating heartache that he bore daily. Why’d he have to fall for her when he was already too late? Why did he always have to have the worst luck with his love life? 

“Kid,” Plagg said, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. “You’re so miserable all the time, I think you’re on the verge of being akumatized. You need to tell someone something and get it off your chest. I’m afraid crying yourself to sleep isn’t gonna cut it.” Adrien was only ever this sad when thinking about his late mother or after he was in a fight with his father. He’d developed dark circles under his eyes from the amount of crying he’d done, something that drove his makeup artists insane during photoshoots. 

“Plagg, I don’t need help. I just need a way to kill Luka, no big deal.” His voice was muffled from his arms. 

“Woah, Woah, Woah! You can’t kill Luka! Not only will Marinette be heartbroken and depressed, but she’ll also hate you and you’re chances of being with her will go from slim to none!” 

“So…” Adrien lifted his head in thought. “Arson?” 

“Adrien!” 

“Fine, fine. But what else am I supposed to do? She really loves him, Plagg, and don’t think any of my friends want to hear me drone on and on about how much I want to be with Marinette. They don’t care. I just need to make it to graduation, then leave the country once university starts if I’m able to convince Father by then.” 

“Is running away from your problems really the answer? If you do leave, sure, you won’t ever see her again, but you’ll still think about her. And what about your duties as Chat Noir?” 

“Screw everything.” Adrien slammed his hands against the table, exasperatedly groaning. Ruffling his hair with one hand, he slumped onto his couch and turned the TV on, the soundtrack of Ultimate Mecha Strike III filling the room. “Plagg, I know I’m never gonna get over her.” 

The kwami flew over and perched on the armrest. “But you got over Ladybug–” 

Adrien threw his hands up in the air. “But I can’t hide it anymore. I need to tell her how I feel, and you’re right. I can’t run away. But she’s so happy, and I can’t take that away from her.” Tears began to well up in his emerald-green eyes. He urged them to not flow down.

“So what are you going to do?” 

“I don’t know.” He turned back to his video games and started playing them. 

_And now the days are getting longer_

_I'm caught daydreamin' of you_

_I'm still waiting for my happy ever after_

_When you're ready, I'll be ready to_

“Dude. Did you not notice the way you were staring at Marinette throughout the entire class?” Nino laughed, mirth dancing in his eyes as they video chatted that evening.

“No,” Adrien lied. He was well aware that he was daydreaming about her as if his life depended on it. Because his imagination was the only place everything was perfect, and he’d already read _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_ several times prior and didn’t feel like listening to the teacher drone on about it again. Regardless, he sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck, the embarrassment making his face flush a bright crimson. “Was it too obvious?” 

“Hella obvious. Even the teacher noticed, man,” Nino was spinning around in his desk chair. 

Adrien banged his head against his desk frustratedly. “I’m an idiot. I basically just told the entire class I’m hopelessly in love with Marinette.” Staring down at his shoes, he wondered if Marinette was aware that he was staring at her, or if Alya had noticed. If she had, he was a goner. “Do you think it’s bad?” 

“What’s bad?”

“That I’m in love with a girl that already has a boyfriend.” 

Nino sighed, rubbing his hands on his face. “Look. As much I find the irony in this situation hilarious, I feel really bad for you, dude. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and yours wants Marinette. And by the looks of it, it wants it really badly.” 

“What does Luka have that I don’t?” Adrien crossed his arms and pouted, leaning back in his chair. As jealous as he sounded, he already knew what Luka had that he didn’t. Sure, he had the whole smart, handsome, rich-boy spiel that tons of people fangirled over, but Luka had the only girl he wanted. 

“That classic bad-boy look, a budding music career, and the ability to capture anyone’s heart. And, unfortunately, Marinette.” Adrien winced. “You, on the other hand, are the classic good-boy, that always listens to his father, set to be our class’s valedictorian, wants to get a degree in physics or engineering when he goes to university, and are super good at video gaming. You and Luka are polar opposites, man.” 

“So what else do I need to do, get a few tattoos, dye my hair, and wow the crowd with my amazing piano playing skills?” 

Nino chuckled and rolled his eyes. “No. Be there for her, as a friend, and maybe, just maybe, things will work out in your favor. But with your luck, there’s a small chance that’ll happen, but we’re just gonna ignore that. Stay positive, man! Things are sure to work out!” 

“I hope so–” 

A crash, no doubt the work of an Akuma, interrupted Adrien. He shot his head toward the window, seeing a black shadowy figure hovering above the buildings. “I gotta go,” Adrien said and ended the call. “Plagg, we have work to do! Transform me!” 

In seconds, he was Chat Noir and left his room through the window in his bathroom. He arrived at the scene of the Akuma, greeting Ladybug before starting to construct a plan. 

Within thirty minutes, the Akuma was defeated, and, in its place, rested a disoriented twenty-something-year-old woman. Chat and Ladybug, both with barely any time left before de-transforming, went in opposite directions. 

“Come on, come on!” Chat mumbled other his breath, using his baton to fly over the buildings, his eyes zipping in scattered directions to find a secluded area to de-transform. His ring beeped again, notifying him he had less than a minute before he would return to his normal civilian self. He found a deserted alleyway housing dumpsters and flew down upon it, his back to the entrance as he reverted back to Adrien Agreste. “Here you go, Plagg.” He pulled out a piece of camembert for the pocket of the flannel overshirt he adorned, sighing in relief that he was able to make it without being spotted. 

He spoke too soon. 

Within seconds, Plagg had gobbled the cheese whole, licking his minuscule lips to preserve the taste. The kwami belched, releasing a pungent smell that reeked of stinky socks and ripe cheese. “Time to go home, Plagg. “Claws–” 

A shriek interrupted him, and he turned around, stunned that the person standing behind him was Ladybug. 

“Adrien! You– you’re Chat Noir!” He heard Ladybug’s voice.

“Surprise?” He shyly smiled, holding his hands up in an ‘I don’t know’ position. 

“I gotta go, I’m about to transform back and you can’t know who I am too–” She spoke too late, as her earings beeped a final time and left her as Marinette, and a tired Tikki next to her. 

“Sugarcube!” Plagg cried, flying over to her and wrapping her in a hug. “These dorks finally found out that they’ve been pining after each other all this time!” 

Adrien and Marinette both blushed, looking down at their shoes. He fidgeted with his jeans, wondering how he’d managed to fall in love with the same person twice. He smiled, finally realizing his struggling with his emotional loyalty when he first found out he was falling for Marinette hard and fast was resolved. Ladybug and Marinette were one and the same. The smart, witty, headstrong, fearless, talented, creative, beautiful, sweet, kind, clumsy, and caring girl was right there, blushing furiously, as she stared at him. 

And he couldn’t have her. 

“Adrien,” she spoke. “You told me you were in love with Ladybug. Do you still feel that way?” 

“I got over Ladybug,” he sighed. _Don’t do it!_ His mind yelled at him. He was in the clear, she didn’t know he was still crazy in love with her and falling harder by the second. She didn’t have to know. “A few years ago.” 

“I was in love with you too, Adrien. Back when we were in collége. Then I started crushing on Chat Noir before I started dating Luka.” 

“Why?” Adrien looked up, bewildered that she’d fallen for him twice too. He balled his fists, his heart threatening to thump through his ribs. His eyes met hers, and he hers turning glassy. “You should’ve told me. I would’ve been so happy that it was you who had a crush on me.” 

“I’m sorry. I kinda got super nervous and couldn’t speak.” 

“You should’ve spoken. Imagine where we could’ve been by now!” Fury raised in his voice, his grip on his own hands become tighter by the passing second. 

“Adrien, why are you saying this? You said you got over Ladybug!” 

“I’m saying all this because I love you, Marinette!” 

Uh oh. Adrien froze, watching Marinette process his words. Her face was stark white, her jaw slack and her eyes wide. “I shouldn’t have said that, you already have Luka. I’m gonna go now.” 

He called for his transformation and ran in the direction of the Agreste Mansion, slipping through his bathroom window and back into his room. Reverting back to Adrien and collapsing on his bed, he broke into a ball of tears as their reveal replayed in his head. He always imagined that they’d have a happy reveal, not one that involved them screaming at each other. 

He cried himself to sleep that night, his thoughts plagued by the image of Marinette. 

_Make you feel beautiful in the morning_

_Light you up when the rain won't stop pouring_

_'Cause there's a million little things I haven't told ya_

_It kills me every time he's with you, so_

Adrien regretted yelling at Marinette the night before. She avoided him at school the next day, and so did Alya. Barely staying awake and running on three cups of coffee, Marinette’s ignorance only contributed to his want to puke. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lila snickering and proudly beam that Marinette was upset, thinking it was her doing. It made him angry nonetheless. 

He scribbled a note on a piece of paper and slipped it to Lila as he walked out of the cafeteria. He saw her grin happily as she read it, giving him a thumbs up in response. Adrien laughed internally, shooting her a thumbs up too. 

He ran to the back courtyard of the school once his last class had completed, looking at Lila as she sat on a bench and scrolled on her phone. She looked up at him once she saw him approach, her smile widening as she straightened her clothes. She had brushed her hair and put on more makeup than necessary, the first button of her frilly blouse undone to show off a hint of her cleavage. 

“Adrien! I got your note! What’s the important thing you had to tell me?” She batted her eyelashes and puckered her pink lips. “I knew it would be time you did this, I’ve been waiting forever.” 

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed dreamily, trying his best not to gag internally at her ridiculous advances. “I have too.” 

He balled up his fists and punched her right in the nose, the sweet satisfaction of hearing her yell in pain outweighing the stinging sensation in his left fist. “That was hurting Marinette.” 

“I’ll tell my mother! She’ll sue you and your father for my broken nose!” 

“Then I’ll let the school board, my father, and your mother know of your pathological lying, bullying, and sexual harassment. And you can kiss your popularity, internship as a model at ‘Gabriel’ and your reputation goodbye.”

She sat, dumbstruck, as she held her broken nose. “You wouldn’t dare!” 

“Oh, I would. I have fame, power, and money. Anyone would believe my word over yours. Now, I suggest that you tell people that you broke your nose after falling due to wearing unnecessarily high heels and **never** talk to me or Marinette again.”

She stormed off angrily, darting–as fast as her heels would let her–back to her car as Adrien examined the bruise on his knuckles. Marinette wouldn’t be crying about Lila ever again, and even if the love of his life was refusing to talk to him, he’d do everything to ensure that she wouldn’t cry over that bastard ever again. 

Adrien went back to his own car, one that he’d unexpectedly received from his father on his eighteenth birthday. He was finally allowed to have more freedom, a result of Nathalie intervening and forcing Gabriel to, in her words, “Let the poor boy be a teenager for once”. He drove, the warm spring air flooding through the open windows and the breeze messing up his hair. He went home, then immediately transformed and went to Marinette’s place, landing on her balcony. Checking through the window to see if it was an appropriate time to intrude, he saw her finishing a commission at her desk, rolls of fabric and spools of thread scattered around her. She was humming a soft melody to herself along with the show playing on her desktop. 

He knocked on her window, the sudden noise startling her as she went up to answer. “Hey, Chat.” Her tone carried heft, as she kept her hands around him and refused to make eye contact. Chat Noir frowned. Normally she’d call him ‘kitty’ or ‘Chaton’. “What do you want?” 

“I wanted to tell you something, m’lady. I think it would make you happy–” 

“I’m not your lady, Adrien. Look, we can still be friends because I still really care about you, but my heart belongs to Luka now. I’d really appreciate it if you would stop with the ‘m’ladies’ or the ‘bugaboos’ or the ‘princesses’.” 

Adrien gulped, his heart shattering slightly. It wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to. After all, he was rejected by Ladybug for years. “All right.”

“Now, what were you saying?” 

He turned around, not wanting her to see the tears building in his eyes. “Lila won’t be bothering you anymore. I’ve ensured it.” 

She gasped in happiness, and he could hear the pitter-pattering of her feet as she jumped for joy then gave him a back hug. “Really, Adrien? How’d you do it?” 

“I’d rather not disclose it, but we’ll just leave it at the fact that Lila may not be comfortable showing her face in class for the next three-six weeks.” He tried his hardest to keep his tone steady. 

“Thank you, kitty! I’m so glad to have you as my friend.” She hugged him tighter, spinning him around so that they’d be facing each other. 

“And one more thing,” he breathed, hoping that weight would be lifted off his shoulders. “I’m sorry for spitballing that whole ‘I love you’ thing on you yesterday. I was acting out of line and caught up in the moment. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a photoshoot and fencing practice tonight.” 

He released himself from her grasp, walking to the railing before jumping off into the evening sky. 

“Chat, wait!” He heard her call, but he didn’t look back. She was right. They were friends. 

That was all they’d ever be. 

_How am I supposed to think about anything else?_

_How am I to go on keeping this to myself?_

_I am done pretending I want anyone else, anyone else._

Adrien, Alya, and Nino were sitting in Marinette’s bedroom as they talked about the upcoming spring dance, which is the first in all of France, as Chloé Bourgeois demanded the school board to host one. Nino, naturally, was taking Alya to the dance, while Marinette was going with Luka. Adrien was sticking out like a sore thumb. Or a fifth wheel? Regardless, he didn’t feel like taking anyone and was most likely going to spend most of his time at the snack table anyway, so he mentally digressed. He knew this was a way of concealing his pain of seeing Marinette with Luka for an entire four hours, and he was going to avoid them for as long as he possibly could. 

Marinette had gone downstairs to grab snacks, leaving the three of them alone in awkward silence.

“Sunshine,” Alya smirked, crossing her arms. “A little birdie told me you had a crush on Marinette.” 

Adrien scowled, glaring over at his best friend. “Dude! You spilled?” 

Nino held his hands up defensively, but before he could answer, Alya interjected, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “He didn’t need to. That little stunt you pulled in our literature class confirmed it.” She tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear, smiling proudly. 

“Look, I’m sorry, and I really want her to be happy. That’s how she is with Luka, so I’m not going to interfere. I promise.” 

“Fine. But if she gets heartbroken because of you, your pretty face will never see the light of day ever again.” 

Adrien gulped. “Understood.” He was suddenly regretting his decision to wear a jean jacket, as the air in the room started to grow hot with the tension. He tugged on it, eyes darting in different directions. Alya turned to her boyfriend, both exchanging an entire conversation with only glances. Marinette came back up the trapdoor a few minutes later, with a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in one hand. Alya helped her bring it up, setting it on the pouf ottoman which they were all sitting around. The sweet smell calmed Adrien, as he noticed that his cheeks were burning at the sight of her. She was already showing Alya the advancements on their dresses, both of them giggling in excitement. 

“Nino, what color is your tie?” Marinette asked. 

“It’s orange, like Alya’s dress,” Nino replied, eating up his third cookie. “I’m not completely clueless, you know. I pay attention most of the time.’ 

“What about you, Marinette? What does Luka has planned for you too?” Alya asked, resting an arm around her boyfriend. 

“Luka hasn’t really talked to me about it. He seems to evade the topic every time I talk about it. But I have this dress that I made.” She went to her closet and pulled out a black garment bag hanging from her hanger, and took it off to reveal the prettiest dress Adrien had ever seen. It was blush pink, with a sweetheart neckline and a tulle skirt with rose pink butterflies decorating the form-fitting bodice down the skirt. He could practically see Marinette wearing the dress dancing around in their school’s gymnasium in the colored lights. She’d be laughing, singing/screaming along with her favorite songs, and went the time would come, the slow music would come on, the lights would dim, and they’d slow dance. And then she’d kiss him–

_No! Stop it, Agreste!_ She wasn’t going to be dancing with him. He knew that. Yet he still tried to urge his booming heart to reduce to normal speeds as fuzzy sounds of Alya and Nino praising the ensemble went one ear and out the other. “You’re beautiful… I mean– it’s beautiful. Amazing creation, Marinette!” 

“Thank you, Adrien. I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Luka will be speechless when he sees you!” Alya added, a wide smile on her face. 

_Get a hold of yourself, Adrien! She’s dating someone, and she’s in love. You have no chance with her, and you’re gonna have to get used to the fact that Luka’s her boyfriend, and you’ll never be._ Adrien was suddenly regretting everything, falling in love with her, telling her he loved her, putting his reputation on the line for her, caring for her, having every bit of his thoughts consumed by her twenty-four/seven. At the end of the day, she wasn’t his. She was just his friend and any chance that she wasn’t completely over him was completely gone. 

“Adrien, dude. Are you okay?” He heard Nino’s voice. 

Instead of answering, he looked up at Marinette, who was biting her lip nervously. Standing up, he headed down the trap door and down that stairs after uttering, “I’m sorry.”

He hurried to the bathroom, where he unexpectedly ran into Tom as he was working in the kitchen. “Adrien, son. Are you all right?” 

In his eyes, he saw the father he never had, one that was always there for him and genuinely cared about his wellbeing. Unable to hide his emotions anymore, he shook his head, on the verge of crying. 

“What happened?” He set down his cleaning supplies and sat down in the chair next to the one Adrien slumped into. 

“I’m in love with Marinette, that’s what happened.”

“How long have you been?” 

“A few months. But I think it’s been for longer and I never noticed.” 

“Ah. And you’re upset that she already has a boyfriend?” Tom slung one of his arms around his body.

“It’s been bothering me more recently than it usually had.” 

“You know, when I was crushing on Marinette’s mother, she already had a boyfriend too. And I was so upset because it would always come up in conversation or I would see them together. But, twenty-three years later, look at where we are. Happily married with a seventeen-year-old daughter and a booming business. The moral of the story is that everything’s going to work out. I promise, son.” 

“But what am I supposed to do before? I can barely stand listening to Marinette talk about Luka, and I can’t even see them together. I’m trying to be supportive, I really am, but–” 

“Love is a powerful thing, son. It can control everything, but, right now, all you need to do is be there for her. I’ve known you since you were a fourteen-year-old boy, and, trust me, there is no one I’ve seen who cares more for my daughter than me. I trust you wholeheartedly, and I know you’re not going to do anything wrong to her.” 

Adrien smiled weakly. “Thank you, Monsieur Dupain.” 

“Tom, son. Call me Tom. Now, go back up and hang out with your friends. I’m sure they're expecting you.” 

“Yes, Monsie– Tom. Thanks, again!” He ran back up the stairs to Marinette’s room, but Alya and Nino were gone. Marinette was sitting in her room and cleaning up. “Hey, Mari. Where is everyone else?” 

“Left. Mood kinda got spoiled,” she didn’t face him, instead, tending to the mess of pillows and blankets on the floor. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin anything–” 

“Adrien, are you happy for me?” She turned around, tears in her eyes. She put the folded blanket down on her chaise and looked him straight in the eye. Her glare could shoot daggers at him. 

“Absolutely! I thought you and Luka were destined to be together from the start.” 

“Really? So why are you causing all these scenes? In the alleyway, on my balcony, on the steps, in literature class. I noticed that you were staring at me, Adrien. I observed that you tensed up whenever the conversation came to him.” 

“Marinette, I didn’t mean to, I swear.” 

“But you do it anyway! Adrien, if you can’t deal with it, I suggest you and I don’t hang out anymore. We’ll be restricted to patrols and Akuma fights only.” 

“No! I can deal with it, I promise. I’m really sorry, but I care for you. I just don’t want you to get heartbroken, and I’m really happy that you’re happy. I know you love him, and I’m going to do my best to back off, and I can always promise that I’ll be the first to comfort you when something bad happens and the first to applaud you whenever something good happens. Whether you love me back or not, I always want to be your friend.” 

She hugged him, tears falling down on her cheeks. “I’ll always be there for you too, Adrien. I’m sorry I’ve been an absolute dick to you. I know you didn’t mean to do all those things.” Her eyes darted to his wrist, which was still clad with his lucky charm. “You’re still wearing it.” 

“Of course. The girl I’m in love with gave it to me.” He flashed his Chat Noir smirk at her, resulting in her light giggle. 

“Adrien!” She smacked him in the chest. 

“What? Girlfriend or not, you know now. I’m going to say it as much as I want.” 

“Fine, fine.” She hugged him again. “I also still have yours, by the way.” 

_The world melts away when I'm with you_

_And I know you're afraid to jump too soon, oh_

_But I promise if you would_

_I'd love you better than he ever could_

_Girl, we'd have it good, we'd have it good_

Adrien stood in the corner of the gym by the snack table after finally convincing Nino to stop hanging out with him and with his date. Through the crowd, he could see all his friends. Chloé was dancing with Kagami; Alix laughing with Max, Sabrina, and Kim; Ivan and Mylene were dancing; Juleka and Rose were doing the chicken dance together; Alya was kissing Nino in the secluded corner of the gym as they were dancing together, but most of all, the smile never went off of Marinette’s face as she danced with Luka. Even though he couldn’t see his face, Adrien was fine standing in the back while Marinette was with the guy he loved. 

For the first time in months, Adrien wasn’t saddened by the sight of both of them together and instead smiled. He knew that he would much prefer to be the one that made Marinette grin like that, and he felt the pang of guilt in the depths of his stomach when he thought of it. Another fast song and Adrien went to go join his dateless friends. He kept his eye on Marinette, however, and watched them get closer as another slow song was played by the DJ. 

Although, Adrien hadn’t expected to see what he saw. Marinette was crying, pushing Luka away as he left from the back entrance. She hurried in his direction and looked down from letting anyone know about her tears. Gripping onto him tightly in a hug, she dried her tears. Her makeup was running, her long hair still looking relatively flawless in comparison. 

“What happened, Marinette?” 

“Luka broke up with me.”

“What! Why?” Adrien growled, anger filling him up. 

“He scored a world tour as the opening or Jagged Stone and will be gone for the rest of the year after he leaves next week. He thought that a long-distance relationship wouldn’t be right, and he generally thought that us continuing wouldn’t be a good idea.” 

“Did he tell you why?” 

“He said he developed feelings for someone else and that was one of the reasons he wanted to call it quits.” 

“That scoundrel!” Adrien let go of her and snarled, walking out of the gym and into the hallway. “I’m gonna make him pay. Plagg, claws–” 

“No, let him go, Adrien. He made his choice.” 

“But he hurt you! You looked so happy.” He looked down at Marinette’s bright blue eyes, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Do you want to get out of here?” A cheeky smile replaced his scowl, although his anger was not entirely gone.

She nodded, intertwining her fingers with his. 

And they ran out of the school, using Adrien’s suit jacket as an umbrella against the pouring rain as they ran through the drenched sidewalks. They stopped at a diner, ordering pizza and milkshakes as they dried themselves off. Marinette, although dressed as if she was dining with the Queen of England, had her mouth stained with an odd combination of tomato sauce and whipped cream. The diner was deserted except for the both of them, and they were doubling over in laughter the entire time. It was like they were the only two in their own little world, and it was past ten when they’d realized just how long they’d been sitting there. 

Adrien transformed into Chat Noir and brought Marinette back into the bakery, bidding her goodnight. She stopped him, shyly looking down before she entered her home. “Stay with me? I don’t really want to be alone tonight.” 

He smiled, but then it quickly disappeared. “I’d love to, milady, but I don’t think I could sleep in a suit and trousers–” 

“Just wait on my balcony. I’ll be up in a few minutes.” 

And he kept to her promise. A few minutes later, Marinette opened her hatch, and let him in, offering a present in her hands. “This was supposed to be a graduation present, but I suppose now it’s a thank-you present for giving me the best night ever despite the breakup.” 

“Thanks, Mari.” He opened the box to reveal Ladybug themed joggers, a fierce blush spreading across his face. “When did you make this?” 

“Before we revealed our identities, you always told us you were a big fan. How ironic, huh?” 

“I love them.” With a smirk, he added, “I love you, Bugaboo.”

“Shut up and go change!” She tried to hide the smile creeping up on her lips. “I’ll dry my hair and get dressed too.” 

Adrien obliged, and two minutes later, he was dressed in his present. Unfortunately, while her gift was lovely, it didn’t include a shirt. He didn’t know what freaked him out more, the fact that he was sleeping next to Marinette–in a completely platonic way, of course–or the fact that he was sleeping **shirtless** next to Marinette, the newly-single love of his life. Mustering up all his courage, he poked his head out the see Marinette braiding her dried hair, wearing flannel pajama bottoms and an old Jagged Stone Band tee. 

He picked her up, listening to her surprised, although surprised, giggles as they fell onto her bed, snuggling against each other. “

“Adrien?” she asked. His ears perked up as he tried to hide his flustered expression and internal screaming. He was cuddling with Marinette. With Marinette!

“Yeah?” 

“Thank you, again for making me feel better. It still feels bad, but it’s not that terrible anymore.” 

“Of course. It’s like I told you. I’ll always be the first to be there for you when you’re sad. Think of me as your personal shoulder to cry on.” His voice was half-asleep, a product of not realizing how tired he was until he hit the comfy bed and snuggled under her cozy duvet. Regardless, he pressed a kiss to her cheek then her forehead before drifting off the sleep. 

_How am I supposed to think about anything else?_

_How am I to go on keeping this to myself?_

_I am done pretending I want anyone else_

_Anyone else._

Marinette woke up the next morning from the rays of sun poking into her room despite her black-out curtains. She felt an unusual amount of heat next to her, but then remembered what had conspired the night before. Adrien had comforted her after the breakup, took her to a diner where they shared laughs over greasy pizza and sugar-crazed milkshakes, then they fell asleep together. Her hand ran over the muscles on his bare chest, then on his strong arms. Giving him the sweatpants instead of letting him go home and change was probably not the most tenuous way of getting him shirtless, but he liked the gift. That was… definitely a bonus. 

He stirred, groaning softly and spreading out like a cat. She watched, caught off guard by his cuteness as he scrunched up his nose and subconsciously pulled the blanket up. Even with his tired eyes, disheveled hair, and morning stubble, he still looked every bit as handsome as he did on the magazine covers. 

“Morning, Marinette.” He sleepily smiled, stretching then rubbing his eyes. “Sleep well?” 

“Better than I ever have before. As weird as it sounds, you’re, like, the greatest stuffed animal in existence.” 

“That is really weird, but I’ll take it.” 

“Would you like to stay for breakfast?” 

“I should probably head back. Nino’s covering for me, so, according to Nathalie, I was at Nino’s house all night. Does he know?” 

“About Luka? Yeah. Both he and Alya do. I texted them last night. Alya’s coming over with all the breakup necessities later today. She was going to do it last night but ended up spending the night at Nino’s.” 

“How coincidental,” Adrien shot her a sly smile and propped himself up on his elbow. “Although, I saw how close they were last night. Were they–” 

“Probably. And they possibly think we were doing the same thing.” 

“Yikes, that’s nice.” He leaned closer to her, channeling his Chat Noir cheekiness. “I wouldn’t mind though–” 

“Not gonna happen.” She bopped his nose with her finger, silencing his mischievous advances. 

“I’m already half-naked, we could go now. I know there are times you’ve imagined doing that with me. And Chat Noir, which is also me.” 

Marinette hit him with a pillow, her cheeks aflame in embarrassment. “Shut up, you flirt!” 

Adrien left an hour later, not without flirting a ton more. After breakfast, Marinette went back up to her room, cleaning out all the gifts Luka had ever given her and stuffing them into a box. It stung a little bit, knowing that he was probably off getting ready to leave on tour, but they were done. She knew that. The box stowed away, she went to go get ready as Alya was arriving in two hours with the promise of a girls’ day. As she was brushing her hair, thoughts of Adrien plagued her mind. How kind he had been to her, all this time. He put his reputation on the line and punched Lila, he had his pick of the millions of the fan-girls pining after him, yet he fell for her. Twice. He was there whenever she was happy, when she was sad, when she was angry, and when she was stressed. 

Hell, he even sacrificed his life for her several times as Chat Noir. Despite putting up with his terrible puns and ridiculous nicknames, she’d managed to fall for him twice as well. 

And now a third time. She was falling fast and hard, even more in love with him than she’d ever been. 

She checked to see how much time she had before Alya arrived, and shot a text to Adrien, asking if he was at home. He responded a minute later, answering that he was, in fact, at home. “Tikki! Spots on!” She frantically called, and, now as Ladybug, swung up to the Parisian rooftops. 

She was done pretending she wanted anyone else. 

_I keep hoping it'll only be a matter of time_

_'Til the memory's faded and the feeling subsides_

_I won't help, I can't settle for anyone else_

_Anyone else._

She ran through the streets of Paris, stopping at the Agreste mansion. Dodging all the cameras, she panted as she made it to Adrien’s bedroom, knocking on the wall-length window. He looked up from his piano, a confused smile gracing his lips as he quickly played a recording on his phone and got up to open the window. 

“What are you doing here, Marinette?” He asked, helping her in. 

“Doing something right, I hope.” With that, she crushed her lips against his, the rest of the world melting away. Fireworks boomed against them as they moved in sync, breathless when they finally broke apart. Marinette called for her de-transformation and Tikki flew over to Plagg, watching as the two kissed again. 

“What?” Adrien finally asked, stunned. “How– Why– I thought you only wanted to be friends.” 

“I had a change of heart. I want you and only you, mon Chaton.” 

“I love you, Marinette.” 

“I love you too, Adrien.” 

She stood up on the balls of her feet, kissing him again and again and again until he was utterly senseless. She stepped back, giggling as he fell back onto his couch with a lovestruck sigh. “Damn it, Mari. You messed me up bad. But… you broke up with Luka less than twenty-four hours ago.” 

“I know. And we might want to hold off on letting people know or going on dates until we graduate, but I just really wanted to tell you how I feel.” After a grand total of twenty kisses in the span of ten minutes, Adrien’s lips were now swollen and shining from the glitter, and she was happy she decided not to go with lipstick.

“Fine, but the moment we do, I’m going to run around screaming that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is my girlfriend.” 

“Deal.” They sealed it with a kiss, one of promises, thank-yous, apologies, and everything in between. “I love you, Adrien Agreste.” 

“And I love you, m’lady.” 


End file.
